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Beetle Mites and Allies - Suborder: Oribatida
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The Beetles Mites, or Moss Mites as they are also known, are a large and diverse group of some 120,000 species (est.) of which about 10 % have been named and described. Most species do not get any larger than about 2.0 mm in length and many are so smal they require a microscope to observe properly. They bear a superficial resemblance to beetles, hence the name. Many species live on the forest floor or, just underneath the surface thereof, and apart from being important decomposers of organic materials themselves, they also serve an important function in that they stimulate microbial activity and distribute fungal spores. What they lack in size they more than make up for in numbers; the soil-dwelling Oribatida are often the single most numerous arthropods in forest soils and composted materials, their numbers easily reaching tens of thousands of individuals per square meter in undisturbed soils and humus.
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Many oribatid species inhabit niche environments which has given rise to the great diversity of the group. Many species have particular requirements for environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, etc. Some live in deserts and others spend much of their life under water living on aquatic plants. Needless to say their small size makes them easy prey for many other arthropods such as, pseudoscorpions, spiders, centipedes, ants and many others, Small vertebrates may also prey on Beetle Mites. To aid their defence, Beetle Mites have a mineralised exoskeleton as adults and many species are capable of tucking in their legs underneath the hard outer cover to further help with self-preservation. This ability has earned them the name, Box Mites. Other species are able to produce certain alkaloids which may serve as irritants to their predators. (Poison Dart Frogs feed on these mites and accumulate the alkaloids for their own poison production.)
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The Oribatida, formerly Cryptostigmata, are relatively long lived particularly in the cooler climates where the life-cycle may take up to seven years. There are usually six life stages form pre-larva to adult and reproductive rates are surprisingly low (making them important indicators about overall soil health as their communities take a long time to build up) with females of most species laying twelve eggs or less and sometimes not even more than once per year as is the case with some of the larger species. Reproduction is usually sexual, involving both male and female, but species in some families may also reproduce by means of parthenogenesis.
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Until the time that the Astigmatina were confirmed as part of the Oribatida, no species were considered parasitic even though some were intermediate hosts for larval tapeworm species. Incidental ingestion of the infected mite would result in the tapeworm larva reaching the final host within which it can grow into an adult tapeworm. Now, with the Astigmatina included in the Oribatida, the latter now contains a myriad of medically and/or economically important parasitic mite species including Varroa Mites, which is currently (2024) wreaking havoc within honey-bee colonies, and the mite responsible for scabies.
References and links:
> Hoy, M.A., (2008). ‘Soil Mites.’ In: Capinera, J.L. (Editor), (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology, Vol. 1, (2nd Ed.) pp 3463 – 3466, Springer, ISBN 9781402062421.
> Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Norton, R.A., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., Daly, J.W., (2007). ‘Oribatid mites as a major dietary source for alkaloids in poison frogs.’ Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 May 22; 104(21):8885-90. doi:10.1073/pnas.0702851104. (Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci SA. 2008 Nov 11;105(45):17586.)
> Walter, D.E., Proctor, H.C., (2013). ‘Mites: Ecology, Evolution & Behaviour: Life at a Microscale.’ Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-94-007-7164-2.
https://www.chaosofdelight.org/all-about-mites-oribatida
> Hoy, M.A., (2008). ‘Soil Mites.’ In: Capinera, J.L. (Editor), (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology, Vol. 1, (2nd Ed.) pp 3463 – 3466, Springer, ISBN 9781402062421.
> Saporito, R.A., Donnelly, M.A., Norton, R.A., Garraffo, H.M., Spande, T.F., Daly, J.W., (2007). ‘Oribatid mites as a major dietary source for alkaloids in poison frogs.’ Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007 May 22; 104(21):8885-90. doi:10.1073/pnas.0702851104. (Erratum in: Proc Natl Acad Sci SA. 2008 Nov 11;105(45):17586.)
> Walter, D.E., Proctor, H.C., (2013). ‘Mites: Ecology, Evolution & Behaviour: Life at a Microscale.’ Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-94-007-7164-2.
https://www.chaosofdelight.org/all-about-mites-oribatida
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